Male urinal



Oct. 18, 1960 G. A. STANFORD MALE URINAL.

Filed Feb. 13,

INVENTOR: GEORGE A. STANFORD United States Patent MALE URINAL George A. Stanford, 1201 S. Main St., Jacksonville, Ill.

Filed Feb. 13, 1958, Ser. No. 715,059

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-110) This invention relates to male urinals and particularly to such devices for hospital use by immobilized or paralyzed patients.

With male patients, Whose physical condition requires them to lie prostrate in bed and, actually or practically, incapable of turning off their backs, urination is often quite a'problem both to the patient and attendants. This is especially so with the severely ill, severely injured, post-operative, and/ or paralyzed patients. If a condition of contagion obtains the problem is made more acute because of the necessity of sanitation.

Currently, the only facility for such patients is the rigid metal or glass container with an upward-extending neck and commonly known as the duck. The use of this conventional urinal requires such contact with the patients body as, with patients in the above-noted condition, to cause pain or momentary anxiety. In fact the condition of some patients precludes the use of this type of urinal and other improvisations have to be resorted to which are far from satisfactory. Moreover, the keeping of this currently-used urinal, or even the improvisations, adequately sterilized is a laborious and bothersome task and sometimes an uncertain achievement.

The main objects of this invention, therefore, are to provide an improved form of male urinal; to provide an improved male urinal which, when circumstances require, can be used without contact with the body of the patient; to provide an adjustable male urinal of this kind having an improved form of supporting base and urine receptacle which permits the latter to be positioned for use with the base out of contact with the patients body; to provide an improved base for a male urinal of this kind which permits it to rest stably on an uneven or irregular surface; to provide an improved mounting on the base of a disposable receptable wherein the urine collects by gravity below the spill level; to provide an improved support for the disposable receptacle which permits convenient positioning and removal for each urination; to provide improved means for the attachment of the receptacle support to the base which allows for facile positioning of the receptacle without-the necessity of eye control on the part of patient; and to provide an improved male urinal of this kind wherein all of the parts are of simple construction, may be easily assembled for use or disassembled for storage or shipment, and reduces cleaning and sterilizing to a simple routine.

Specific embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one adaptation of the invention shown, in full outline, the unit completely assembled ready for use, and showing in dotted outline the receptacle support in vertical position and without a receptacle fixed thereon;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, vertical-sectional view of the adaptation shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective of the attachment of the receptacle mounting to the supporting shaft;

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Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an axially-split-cone cotter pin for tightly locking the receptacle support ring to the flexible support shaft; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of supporting base.

The essential concept of this invention involves a shallow, somewhat broad and preferably weighted base mounting an upwardly-angulated, manually adjustable, flexible shaft removably supporting at its upper end a ring whereto is attachable a flexible disposable receptacle, the base being supplemented with either a removable bag filled with particulated matter or a removable transverse bar for stability in use.

A male urinal embodying the foregoing concept comprises a base 5 mounting either a supplemental bag 6 as in Figs. 1 and 2, or a cross-bar 7 as in Fig. 5, with a flexible shaft 8 extending angularly upward from the base 5 and to the upper extremity of which shaft is secured a ring 9 for the convenient attachment of a disposable receptacle 11.

The base 5, as herein shown, is a rather shallow somewhat elongated metal shell nearly approximating the shape of half an egg severed along its longitudinal median. As here shown such a base 5 is made of sheet metal with the perimeter turned to form a bead 12 embracing a reinforcing wire 13. The wire-reinforced bead 12 is so shaped as to provide a perimetrical groove 14. Abottom 16 for the base is bonded to the bead to close the shell-like base 5. However, before bonding the bottom 16, the interior of the shell is filled, or partially filled, with a suitable substance 15 to weight the base 5. This filler could be metal, such as lead, or a substance such as plaster or sand. Preferably, the bottom 16 is formed with a transverse dove-tail groove 17 for the reception of the cross-bar 7 which is slidably removable.

The supplemental bag 6 is a piece of fabric of considerably greater area than the bottom of the base 5, which is hemmed around its top side to enclose a drawstring 18. Such a bag, preferably of or covered with an oil-cloth-like material, filled with particulated matter 19, such as sand, gravel or, perhaps, beans, further weights the base 5. Also because of its flexible character, the bag 6 will accommodate itself to uneven or irregular surfaces and maintain the urinal stable.

The supplemental bar 7 shown in Fig. 5, in cross section, is of dove-tail shape the same as the groove 17 in the base bottom 16. The bar 7 is made to be readily slipped into the groove 17 and be retained therein by frictional contact or any suitable resilient gripping means. The length of the bar 7 is such as to extend out beyond both sides of the base several inches, for use as presently will be described.

The shaft 8 is a piece of conventional material, such as is used with goose-neck lamps and the like, having its lower end suitably bonded to a threaded nipple 21 for reception in a threaded bushing 22, bonded to the interior top wall of the base 5 adjacent the rear or widest end. As 'here shown the bushing 22 is so formed and positioned in the base as to dispose the axis of the bushing at an angle forwardly inclined to the bottom 16 of the base 5. Thus, when the nipple 21 on the shaft 5 is threaded into the bushing 22, the lower end of the shaft 5 is angulated to the vertical with respect to the base 5 and in a forwardly projecting manner.

At its upper end the shaft 5 mounts a cap 23 suitably bonded thereto and formed with a radially-disposed aperture 24 extending through the cap 23 and the shaft 5. As here shown, the cap 23 is rectangular in shape and the aperture 24 is of trapezoidal cross-section (see Fig. 3). The aperture 24 could, of course, be almost any non-circular shape.

The ring 9 is formed with a stem 26, which here is shown of trapezoidal cross-section, to snugly fit in the aperture 24 and extend a short distance beyond the cap 23. The stem 26 is formed with an aperture 27, adjacent its free end, for the reception of a locking pin 28 attached to the capw23 by a short length of chain 29. As shown in Fig. 4, the pin is half circular in cross-section and is tapered, like an axially split cone. The stem aperture 27 is suitably located to accommodate the pin 28 so as to secure the ring in rigid position on the shaft by the wedging action of the pin acting with its fiat side against the rear wall of the cap 23.

The receptacle 11 preferably is preformed of a soft plastic or otherwise waterproof material with the openend perimeter hemmed and sealed to enclose a draw string 30. Such a receptacle is most conveniently attached to the ring 9 by inserting the open end of the receptacle 11 upwardly through the ring 9,'the'11- turning the upper portion of the receptacle down over the ring 9 with the draw string 30 below the ring. The draw string 30 being tightened and tied will secure the receptacle 11 in position for use.

Each of the base adaptations would be used in much the same manner, except for the positioning of the base 5. The adaptation of Figs. 1 and 2 can be used without any contact with the patient, where conditions require avoidance of such contact, and on any kind of irregular surface, such as a bed or litter.

The adaptation of Fig. 5 is for use with patients where there can be some cooperation and no aversion to the crossbar being in contact with the patients legs.

When the adaptation of Figs. 1 and 2 is to be used and a stable flat surface is available, whereon to position the base 5, the bean-bag 6 is not necessary; However, if desired it could remain on the base 5. On the other hand, where the surface on which the base 5 must rest is uneven or irregular, the supplemental bag 6 will insure a firm positioning of the base 5, because the contents of the bag 6 will accommodate itself to such uneven or irregular surface, and permit proper positioning of the receptacle 11 for use.

Generally, the base 5 would be placed between the patients out-spread legs near the knees. The shaft 8 would be flexed to extend along the bed and locate the receptacle 11 closely below the organ and with the receptacle laid downwardly toward the base 5. Urination may then occur without any movement or attention of the patient. The urine will flow by gravity toward the bottom of the receptacle 11, obviously, below the spill level.

When urination is completed, the urinal is removed and the receptacle 11 is detached by releasing the draw string 30 and pulling the open end of the receptacle down through the ring 9. Appropriate disposition then may be made of the receptacle 11. There need be no contact of the patient or the urine with any part of the urinal other than the receptacle itself. Hence, the cleaning of the other parts of the unit is more or less a matter of routine.

When it is appropriate to use the adaptation of Fig. 5,

the cross-bar 7 is substituted for the bean-bag 6 and the base 5 is placed between the legs of the patient with the projecting ends of the cross-bar 7 under the patients legs the necessary distance above the knees. The shaft 5 would be then suitably flexed to position the receptacle 11 as above explained. The subsequent use of this adaptation is the same as that of Figs. 1 and 2.

It should be understood, of course, that a urinal of this character can be used in an obvious manner with other patients less restricted in their bed movements.

When not in use the improved urinal may be disassembled and the parts readily packed or stored, for example, in a simple box, compartrnented or otherwise, having a depth only necessary to accommodate the base 5, the shaft 8, ring 9, bean-bag 6, and the cross-bar 7 being laid flat in the box in side byside relation. Thus the improved device can be readily packaged in a relatively flat box for storage or shipment and a quantity of the devices can be conveniently stored in much smaller space than other known devices for the same purpose. This is a special advantage, not only for domestic and hospital use, but also for use in military medical facilities where quantities of the devices are required and storage or shipping space is at a premium.

Other advantages are to be found in the complete adjustability and adaptability 0f the device for substantially every type of need and patient; in the simplicity of the construction of the device and complete interchangeability of its parts; in its relatively low cost of manufacture; and in its substantiaHy complete sterility In use.

Although several embodiments of this invention are herein shown and described it will be understood that details of the constructions and arrangements shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A male urinal comprising a base of generally semiovate form with its long axis extending horizontally and having a substantially flat bottom lying in a plane substantially parallel with the said long axis, a flexible shaft provided with a threaded nipple at the lower end thereof, a threaded bushing in the top of said base ad-' jacent to the larger end thereof and extending upwardly therefrom at an angle inclined toward the opposite end of the base and adapted to receive said nipple, a cap secured to the free end of the flexible shaft and having an aperture extending radially through the cap and shaft, a ring having a radial stem extending through the capshaft aperture and protruding beyond the cap, the end of the stern having a transverse aperture outwardly of the cap, and a pin insertable in the stem aperture for removably securing the ring in transverse position to the shaft in a plane substantially normal to, the axis of the free end thereof, a bag-like receptacle, means to secure said receptacle to said ring with its open end disposed in the plane of the ring.

2. A device as described in claim 1 wherein the base includes a receptacle for containing particulate material attached to the flat bottom of said base to accommodate the structure to an uneven surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 400,191 Clark Mar. 26, 1889 666,045 Beeson Jan. 15, 1901 1,786,459 Simons Dec. 30, 1930 2, 19,974 Bellow Oct. 29, 1940 2,510,198 Tesmer June 6, 1950 2,654,892 Szabo Oct. 13, 1953 2,815,511 Friedman et al. Dec. 10, 1957 

